.......the list of questions relating to protein intake and nutrition, can go on for a mile.

Can you guess what the magic word is in those two questions?

No, it's NOT protein.

It's "should".

How much of anything a person "should" or "should not" do/consume/attempt/utilize/execute.......etc. is determined by a LONG list of factors.

Just like there is NO magic training program that provides amazing results without motivation, discipline, hard work, and consistent effort. There is no short, simple answer to the "How much protein....." question without looking into the bigger picture of each individual and developing a prescription that goes hand in hand with those factors.

The C5 Coaching Staff has been receiving a lot of questions around the concepts of protein intake and nutrition in general.

As most of you know, we don't do "Average" at C5. With that being said, please understand that there is a list of requirements that must be met prior to a C5 Coach being able to even START the conversation with you around your questions regarding protein and/or nutrition in general. This list might look like (but not be limited to);

A 5-7 day food log of everything you consume from wake up til bedtime. Time of day it's consumed, quantity consumed, and quality of the food. This log MUST be completely open and honest. If you're not logging the late night ice cream and mid morning muffin, we can't have an open conversation about what YOU "should" or "should not" consume based on the remainder of this list.

Daily water intake in ounces

Your bodyweight and height

Your training schedule

Your goals around Fitness

Your occupation (what does the average day look like for you? What time do you wake up? What time do you go to sleep? Are you sitting all day or moving around, driving, cubicle....etc?)

Your sleep cycles

Your biological age

Your training age (how long you've been training in a Strength & Conditioning and/or competitive program)

........just to name a few.

The VERY simple basics around protein are this;

We need protein to build and maintain lean muscle mass. How much protein is determined by the list above (for a place to start). A general rule of thumb for protein intake for someone in Fitness "could" be somewhere in the range of .75 - 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass depending on goals and several other factors. Supplementation is used to "supplement" things you are NOT getting through REAL, WHOLE foods. If you eat like crap, clean that up first, THEN we can have a conversation around supplements. But, we can't start that conversation until the list above is answered.

This is what a C5 ID (Individual Design) consultation looks like when you first meet with a C5 ID Coach (among many other questions). When you're serious about your Fitness, these are questions you must be ready to answer. You don't have to be interested in C5 ID to schedule a consultation with one of the C5 Fitness Coaches, however, you need to be prepared with the list above if you want to have somewhere to start with a Q&A around protein and/or nutrition.